Team Associated Puts The Heat To The Competition

In only a few months the IFMAR World Championships will begin in Japan. The Hot Rod Shootout represents the last time many of the competitors will have the opportunity to race against each other before arriving at the World Championships. Knowing this, drivers from across the world traveled to Saugus, CA to battle the best in the US for the Offroad Shootout title. Those making the trip included Masami Hirosaka, Atsushi Hara, and World's Warm-Up winner, Hayato Matsuzaki. In qualifying, Team Associated driver Ryan Cavalieri dominated the field by putting his B4, T4, and B44 on the pole position for all three modified classes. Joining Cavalieri on the pole was Associated driver Ryan Maifield in the Expert Gas Truck class with his GT2. With a Worlds Warm-Up type atmosphere, several of the top drivers chose to focus on only those classes at the Worlds. In the Truck Modified class, Jared Tebo and Steven Hartson opted not to compete, but instead focused 2WD and 4WD. In the Factory Modified Truck class, it was Associated driver Ryan Maifield taking his GT2 to the pole position and winning the main event by four laps over second place. In the 45 minute main, Maifield only bobbled one time throughout the event. At the end of the event, Cavalieri proved that his 3-time TQs were no fluke and came away with the victory in all three Factory Modified classes. Also making good on his TQ was Ryan Maifield by winning the Factory Gas Truck main event by four laps over the competitors. Congratulations to all the winners and thanks to Jason Boulanger for the photos and the Hot Rod Hobbies crew for a great track and event.